


Too different to exist?

by ahotep100



Series: POJ [2]
Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2018-08-30 15:06:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8537722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahotep100/pseuds/ahotep100
Summary: Phryne and Jane teaching Ophelia about being different.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just because I think these things need to be said.

"Are you sure it's wise letting her wander off like that by the river?

She looked up at Jane's word. Her older daughter had a worried expression.

"Of course", she smiled. "She needs to learn to beware of the water and what better way to do so then by the river. Besides, we are close enough to be able to reach her if something happens. So relax dear Jane!"

She turned her eyes towards her other daughter. Little O had just turned four the other week and was now squating down by the riverside, reaching out a hand to feel the water. The hem of her purple satin dress dropped into the water as her knees bent, but she didn't seem to care. The girl never did. Since Little O was born, she was even more thankful for Dot's interest in sewing and ability to mend stockings. Dresses and stockings had broke before on cases, but since Little O learned to walk and run, the mending need had multiplied.

"Be careful my love!" she called out to her daughter. Unlike what Jack thought sometimes, she wasn't totally reckless with their daughter.

"Jack wouldn't like her being there all by herself", Jane said.

"Well, he would be happiest if she never went any farther than the garden gate."

It had been a slow couple of days. Jack was at work and Mr Butler had gone to the museum with his butler friends. Dot was home taking care of her entire family who was sick besides herself. According to Dot, Hugh was by far the worst one to take care of. Apparentely he thought he was going to die no matter the fact that it was just a little cold. Because it was a warm, sunny day, a picnic outside of town had thought like the best idea and once Jane got home from school, they had packed themselves into the car.

Suddenly there was a splash in the water, making both herself and Jane worriedly turn their eyes towards Ophelia. The girl had risen up and stood looking at something in the water as if mesmerised. She decided it was best to check what had happened, rising to start walking towards her daughter. She could hear Jane following close behind her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as soon as she saw what Ophelia was staring at. "A platypus."

Both Jane and herself squated down on either side of Little O and she realised it might be the first time all three of the females in the Fisher-Robinson-Ross family had exactly the same perspective.

"He looks weird", Little O said, not taking her eyes of the animal in the water, but putting her arm around her neck.

"Yes he does", she answered, strocking her daughter's back.

"There are people who think platypuses are too weird to exist", said Jane, looking at her and Ophelia.

"Why?" asked Ophelia, a little surprised.

"I don't really know", Jane answered, reaching out her hand and Ophelia took it. "Perhapes it's because they look weird. Like a lot of other animals put together. Or maybe it is because they lay eggs and suckle their babies so they don't really fit into the descriptions of mammals which are not supposed to lay eggs."

"But he's right there Janey!" exclaimed Ophelia, letting go of her sister's hand to point at the animal which had now reach the other side of the river, climbing up on the opposite riverbank. "He can't be there if he doesn't exist."

"I know sweetheart", Jane continued and taking Ophelia's hand as she reached it back towards hers. "Some people just don't like it when they see or hear something that doesn't fit with how they think the world should be."

"That's silly!"

"Yes, very silly."

"Mac and Judy say I can't tell anyone that they love each other. They say that they are different because they are girls and love each other and they don't love boys."

"Yes, unfortunately a lot of people have troubles with that too."

"But Mac and Judy are not scary. They are really nice. I love them."

"We all do", she chimed in, rising up to stand. "And the world is going to throw a lot of other weird things you can't believe is true at you and they will all be wonderful in all their different greatness."

She reached down to pick up Little O and the three of them all went back to have their picnic.


	2. Chapter 2

"I don't like that people think Mac is weird because she loves Judy and not a boy", Ophelia stated as he rose from the her bedside, having kissed her good night. He looked upon his daughter in confusion before turning to his wife at the door to their daughter's bedroom.

"We saw a platypus today and Jane said that some people didn't think they existed because they are weird", Phryne explained, walking back into Ophelia's bedroom, bring up one of her small chairs to the bedside and sitting down on it. His wife might be slender, but the small chair made her look huge. He realised that this might turn into a long conversation, so he sat down again on Ophelia's bed.

"Some people have a hard time when something doesn't fit into their own view of how they think the world is suppose to be", he said, tenderly stroking his daughter's cheek. "They don't like admitting that they are wrong, so they try to forbid what doesn't fit into that world instead."

"But platypuses exist even though people say they shouldn't", Ophelia replied.

"Yes they do. People sometimes think that they can decide everything. That they stand above Mother Nature. The problem is that they don't. Some things we all need to just accept as true. Like the fact that Mac loves Judy or that you like to play with Alinta sometimes even though she has another skin colour than yourself."

"I like Alinta. She is much nicer than Karen."

Alinta was an aboriginal girl at the same age as Ophelia who they had met on the beach one day. He knew a lot of white parents would have problems with it, but he couldn't really see why. Both girls had seemed so unbelieveably happy playing together that they and Alinta's mother hadn't had the heart to tear them apart. He couldn't imagine what parents who refused their children to play happily with another child over some silly thing as skin colour were thinking. Besides, Alinta's mother was among the nicest of any of the parents of his daughter's little friends. Some of the parents of the children (like Karen) Ophelia and themselves had to socialize with due to their social position  according to Prudence had horrible views on people and society if he had to say so himself.

"I think it's wonderful that you like Alinta", Phryne said. "How about we go invite her tomorrow?"

"Yes!" Ophelia exclaimed happily.

"But now it's really time to sleep sweetheart."

Phryne rose from the small chair and gave their daughter another good night kiss, before walking back to the doorway. He followed his wife's example.

"I love you!" Ophelia called after them.

"We love you too darling", he answered, blowing her another kiss.

"And I love Mac and Alinta and the platypus too!"

He left the door slightly ajar, before turning to his wife.

"We have two really great children Miss Fisher", he said, catching her in his arms, giving her a kiss on the mouth.

"I know Inspector", Phryne answered, hugging him around the waist.

"How come we are blessed with such wonderful ones?"

"Well, we provide them with love and comfort and show them the importance of knowledge and understandings of the world. I know many parents would consider Ophelia too young to be able to grasp issues such as racism and homophobia, but explaining and talking about it with her shows otherwise."

"I'm so glad I had children with an intelligent, modern woman", he smiled. He started walking, making her have to back into their own bedroom, kissing her as they went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, It became another chapter. I felt I had more to say. (And I couldn't leave Jack out of it.)  
> I looked up aboriginal names and thought Alinta was very cute. Apparently it means flame. And I'm not sure that a white "upper class" girl would even meet an aboriginal one in the 1930's, but I have a feeling Phryne and Jack wouldn't be against their daughter befriending one.


End file.
